The London International Technology Show may be the new kid on the block but it still has the power to surprise people with new and creative gadgets.

Standing tall: Paraplegic Amanda Boxtel stands on her own two feet with the help of Ekso (Picture: Getty)

The Americans know how to put on a gadget event. The Consumer Electronics Show, held in Las Vegas in January, is always something to look forward to and, if thatâs not enough, the adult entertainment industry holds its annual expo in the same place at the same time.

In Britain, we struggle with glitz, so Londonâs Docklands in the rain-soaked autumn seemed an appropriate location to launch an international technology show that hardly anybody knew about.

But donât be fooled, The London International Technology Show (LITS) still had a few exclusives up its sleeveâ¦

Ekso bionic skeleton

The Ekso is a bionic exoskeleton that allows wheelchair users to stand and walk. On-board sensors interpret the userâs intended movements and, using four electro-mechanical motors and an intelligent algorithm, it provides them with a smooth, natural walking motion. The Â£100,000 device is expected to be available early next year and could prove to be a breakthrough for paraplegics.

Amanda Boxtel was paralysed from the waist down after a skiing accident in 1992. Ekso has allowed her to stand on her own two feet again. In a European first, Boxtel demonstrated the bionic legs by walking the floor at the show. She describes the device as âlife-changingâ.

âThe first time I walked in them I went back to my hotel room and cried,â she says.

The invention, by Californian-based Ekso Bionics, was originally funded by the US military, which was exploring the possibility of giving soldiers super-human strength on the battlefield, according to CEO Eythor Bender.

MC Hammerâs proclamation that âyou canât touch thisâ must have inspired DJ and computer expert Tom Autobot, who has produced a motion-sensing mixer and decks system. Using the Microsoft Xbox Kinect and a couple of Nintendo Wii remotes, Autobot can cross-fade, adjust sound levels, mix and add filters and effects.

He has achieved this by taking a piece of software called Shinect and expanding and customising its capabilities. By integrating a number of software packages and writing his own scripts, Autobot says the different devices can âtalkâ to each other, despite being manufactured by rival companies. It also means DJs can perform multiple tasks at once.

He says: âCurrently, a performer can only change two or three settings at a time but with this method, you can easily do more than eight.â